THE EXCITEMENT OF THE CITY - ANTOINE PIERRE URBEX

With illustrious names, a sound with an international appeal and no shortage of ambition, drummer Antoine Pierre is taking up the role of bandleader for the first time.

2014 has been a busy year for the young drummer from Liège, Antoine Pierre. After finishing his Master's degree in Jazz, magna cum laude, at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels, he went to the United States to continue his studies (at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music of New York) and confront the New York scene. Early in November, he was the winner of the Toots Thielemans Jazz Award which has been awarded every year since 2008 to the best young talent of the jazz department of the Royal Brussels Conservatoire. In December, after 'Wanted' by Jean-Paul Estiévenart and 'Backyard' from Philip Catherine, the album ‘New Feel’ by the LG Jazz Collective was released on the Igloo label, in which he plays alongside guitarist William Vierset. Antoine has played with many world-renowned musicians such as Philip Catherine, Philippe Aerts, Enrico Pieranunzi, Didier Lockwood, Frank Vignola, Tim Armacost, Steve Houben and Pascal Mohy. 

Antoine will present his new album ‘Antoine Pierre Urbex’, named after the name of his band (album release in 2016). The band, made up of real soulmates, present a repertoire made up of existing works and original compositions. Antoine was able to give free rein to his imagination by fully exploiting the potential of acoustic or electric instruments when writing his compositions. As a city lover, Antoine creates an urban universe sometimes teeming and energetic, sometimes apocalyptic and desolate. Among his numerous sources of inspirations, you have Brad Mehldau and Aka Moon, but also Haitian and Senegalese music. You also have the Chick Corea Trio in 1968 with Roy Haynes on drums, the electric Pat Metheny group with drummer Antonio Sanchez and Jeff Ballard, drummer of the Brad Mehldau trio.